"JEWELRY BY CHANEL" – PATRICK MAURIÈS

Coco Chanel’s passion for fabulous jewels, for exceptional stones, and for improbable marvels produced pieces unparalleled for their luxury and refinement. Drawing inspiration from tradition, Chanel was never the slave of everyday formulas or market values. Yet she reinvented tradition in the most outstanding and modern jewellery pieces, based on her love of colour and her assured command of austere classical beauty.

Chanel was a creature of contrasts: there was the Chanel of sumptuous baroque, of rococo mirrors and dazzling, playful, unrestrained jewellery; and there was the Chanel of the utmost restraint, of classicism “à la française”. Out of this dialogue between ostentation and austerity, the jewellery that Chanel created throughout her long career has been celebrated in many new designs inspired by the House heritage and her exceptional taste.

From the direct re-creations of the 1932 Collection to the newest interpretations of comets, bows, feathers and Chanel’s signature flower, the camellia, this book is true to the spirit of her enterprise. Classic images from the archives combine with exciting new photography to bring old and new together.